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Word: banality (lookup in dictionary) (lookup stats)
Dates: during 1980-1989
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Usage:

A.T.C. concerns the living arrangement of three people-Earl, an alienated poseur; Laurie, a morbid bank teller; and Jake, a banal house painter and eater of grilled cheese. Earl has snuffed someone, so he is at the mercy of a mysterious Mr. White, the landlord who never comes on the stage. Laurie is Earl's former girlfriend--she is the only one who deals with Mr. White. Jake is a mass of muscle and simplicity, the common man who finds himself lost in the midst of this weirdness. Laurie works at the A.T.C.--American Trust Company--and the play...

Author: By Paul A. Attanasio, | Title: Aesthetic of Cool | 11/17/1980 | See Source »

Nevertheless, director Josh Milton--blessed with a talented, hyperkinetic cast--manages an enjoyable rendition of Greasepaint. He proves that with enough brass, good cheer, white teeth, and confetti, even the most banal of musical comedies can become pleasing...

Author: By Jacob V. Lamar, | Title: Working-Class Pleasantries | 11/11/1980 | See Source »

...BEST SCENES in It's My Turn simmer quietly with tension, brilliantly capturing the awkwardness that pervades ordinary encounters. This basically banal film speaks most eloquently when it says nothing. Its characters are often only vaguely aware of each other's existence. Just about every conversation is a failed opportunity. Even when lovers dance, their steps aren't graceful...

Author: By Linda S. Drucker, | Title: The Vulnerable Career Woman | 11/10/1980 | See Source »

...occasions when Mellow attempts a more penetrating analysis, his conclusions are disappointingly banal. In his discussion of Hawthorne's early tales, he paraphrases "Rappaccini's Daughter" at some length, only to prove that the author "was fascinated by the ambiquity and deceptiveness of evil"--an insight which any student would reach after 15 minutes of reading...

Author: By Sara L. Frankel, | Title: An Instinct for the Lugubrious | 10/28/1980 | See Source »

DIRECTOR HOWARD ZIEFF used to make television commercials--it shows. Private Benjamin is shot with all the style and imagination of a thirty-second corn flakes ad. The script by Nancy Meyers, Charles Shyer and Harvey Miller is a masterpiece of banality. Everytime Private Benjamin prepares to turn in, another banal plot development rears its ugly head--and Henri, the French gynecologist, has the ugliest head of all. After transferring to France to be near him, Judy must decide between Henri and the Army...

Author: By Jacob V. Lamar, | Title: Mrs. Grunt | 10/18/1980 | See Source »

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